HIV prevalence in US capital is at epidemic level

The prevalence of HIV infection in Washington, DC, is at least 3% among people aged over 12 years, as high as that in several African countries, a report by the District of Columbia’s health department says.

But prevalence is rising because of earlier detection and better treatment, so that people are living longer. The rate of new infections is falling.

A rate of 1% or more is classified as an epidemic by the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The true prevalence may actually be higher, the report from the Washington Health Department says, because studies indicate that a third to a half of those …